WHAP Unit 8 Vocab Test

Marshall Plan

A U.S. program launched in 1948 to provide economic aid to Western European countries recovering from World War II.

Great Leap Forward

A campaign led by Mao Zedong from 1958 to 1962 aimed at rapidly industrializing China and increasing agricultural production.

Cultural Revolution

A political movement in China (1966-1976) led by Mao Zedong to remove capitalist and traditional elements from society.

Cold War

A geopolitical struggle from 1947 to 1991 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union marked by ideological conflict.

NATO

A military alliance formed in 1949 by the U.S., Canada, and Western European nations to counter Soviet expansion.

Warsaw Pact

A military alliance established in 1955 between the Soviet Union and its Eastern European allies in response to NATO.

Cuban Missile Crisis

A 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the U.S. and the Soviet Union over nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Decolonization

The process in the 20th century where former European colonies gained independence, often through negotiations or resistance.

Indian National Congress

A political party founded in 1885 that led India's struggle for independence from British rule.

Mohandas Gandhi

Leader of India's independence movement who used nonviolent resistance against British rule.

Muslim League

A political organization founded in 1906 that represented Muslim interests in British India.

Mao Zedong

The founding leader of the People's Republic of China and head of the Chinese Communist Party.

Deng Xiaoping

Chinese leader who introduced economic reforms after Mao's death, promoting a market economy.

Mikhail Gorbachev

The last leader of the Soviet Union known for reforms like glasnost and perestroika.

Syrian Civil War

A conflict that began in 2011 between the Syrian government and opposition forces, leading to a humanitarian crisis.

Iranian Revolution

A 1979 uprising that overthrew the pro-Western Shah of Iran and established an Islamic Republic under Khomeini.

Truman Doctrine

A U.S. foreign policy announced in 1947 aimed at containing communism through military and economic aid.

Iron Curtain

A term that describes the division between communist Eastern Europe and capitalist Western Europe during the Cold War.

Prague Spring

A period of political reform in Czechoslovakia in 1968 that was crushed by a Soviet-led invasion.

Proxy War

A conflict where two major powers support opposing sides without direct engagement, as seen in the Korean and Vietnam Wars.

Jomo Kenyatta

Key leader in Kenya’s independence movement and its first president promoting economic development and unity.

The Marshall Plan

Provided over $12 billion in assistance to rebuild European economies and prevent communism.